Kerala - Kochi   

Stop exploitation of water resources: Vice-Chancellor

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MARCH 22. "We need water, to live and to die. Foreign companies are taking away our water. We should fight together to oust them from our land. The Government and Ministers are cheating us," said Subramanian, leader of the Plachimada anti-Coke agitation.

He was addressing the Jala Sammelanam organised by Jaladhara Jala Saksharatha Mission to mark the World Water Day, at G. Auditorium on Tuesday.

Mr. Subramanian, along with his colleagues Mayilamma, Shaji and Chamunni were given a reception at the meeting. The Vice-Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), P.K. Abdul Aziz, inaugurated the meeting by handing over a pot of drinking water to Ms. Mayilamma and other activists.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Subramanian narrated their struggles against the multinational company that had been exploiting the ground water resources of Perumatti panchayat in Palakkad district. He said that various false cases were being charged against the activists, including himself after the agitation began.

In his inaugural address, Prof. Aziz demanded that the unscientific exploitation of water resources should be stopped. He stressed the need for having proper water budgeting for the State in view of the changes taking place in the river ecosystems.

Prof. Aziz said that a concerted effort by the Government and non-governmental agencies was needed to tackle the water problem. He said that pollution of our water resources with industrial pollutants was happening not because of a lack of technical knowledge but due to the apathy and neglect of the bureaucracy.

He released a sticker of the Jala Saksharatha Mission, Kochi, Kerala Nadi Samrakshana Samithy and Paristhithi Samrakshana Sanghom, Aluva, on the conservation of water resources.

Activists honoured

Ms. Mayilamma, Mr. Subramanian, Mr. Shaji and Mr. Chamunni were presented with ponnadas by P.S. Gopinathan Nair, president, Kerala Nadi Samrakshana Samithy, who presided over the function. C.A. Vijayachandran, secretary of Jaladhara, and A.M. Muhammed, of Water Authority Employees Union, presented them with cash prizes.

Earlier, a seminar organised in connection with the programme was inaugurated by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) chairman, Antony Isaac. Inaugurating the seminar, Prof. Isaac said that the public should be made aware of the conservation and controlled usage of drinking water. He demanded that the implementing authorities should have the will to complete the projects within the specified period.

Mr. Vijayachandran presented a paper on the drinking water problems faced by the region of Greater Cochin. Majnu Komath, convener of Goshree Bridges Action Council, Mathew Joseph, president, Cochin Citizens Forum, T.E. Thomas, president, Visala Kochi Kudivella Samrakshana Samithy, and P.S. Rajeev, of Ernakulam Kudivella Samara Samithy, took part. C.M. Joy, secretary of Kerala Nadi Samrakshana Samithy, was the moderator.

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